Data Architect - Bristol

Job Introduction

DAC Beachcroft is looking to appoint a Data Architect (Information Governance) into its IT Team in Bristol.

The main purpose of this role:

• By working as a key part of the Data Architecture (IT) team, to develop and oversee the technical data management practices across the firm’s IT estate.
• To assist in the development and management of DACB’s data governance and data retention strategy.
• Champion DACB’s data governance culture.

Role Responsibility

 The Data Architect (Information Governance) will:

• Develop and implement procedures for effective full-lifecycle management of the firm’s data.
• Ensure Information Governance is considered and appropriate strategies are designed for new projects involving data. 
• Ensure data management adherence to legal and organisation standards.
• Develop data discovery and auditing practices, maintaining maps of different categories of data against systems and locations.
• Develop best practices when storing, organising and disposing of data.
• Assist with creating rules and procedures for data sharing.
• Join and proactively participate in a working group to review the firm’s data governance (data retention and deletion) approach, leading on implementing any technical actions which stem from the working group.
• Act as an intermediary between internal key relevant stakeholders (e.g. IT/Cyber Security, Practice Governance & Risk (P&GR), and Business Improvement and Change (BIC).
• Proactively participate in DACB’s Security & Privacy forum.
• Work with IT/Cyber Security and PG&R to provide advice, guidance and communications to colleagues in respect of any data management/governance queries, issues or developments
• Support the Cyber Security and PG&R business services units in the investigation and response to data security events and incidents.
• Work with others to lead on the integration of new data management/governance software or development of existing software to reflect any updates to DACB’s data governance approach
• Build and maintain a central register / log of all data deletion capabilities and events across our infrastructure
• Assist with data governance audits, including any outsourced processes, archived systems and backup data, to assess DACB’s compliance to its data governance rules. Help to ensure any deficiencies identified as a result of an audit are remediated

The Ideal Candidate

Technical requirements for the role are:                             

• An excellent understanding of relevant data legislation such as GDPR as well as industry good practice for data management.
• A good understanding of storage technologies for data, including storage infrastructure, database/data warehouse models and techniques for managing data at large scale.
• A good understanding of technical security controls that can be applied to data management, and appropriate standards such as ISO27001.
• A working knowledge of T-SQL will be required.
• Any knowledge of common legal sector technologies, such as case management, document management or practice management systems would be an advantage.
• Any exposure to Cloud technologies would be an advantage - particularly MS Azure for data management, and/or Microsoft 365 information protection/governance.

The qualities needed to fulfil this roles are:

• Sound analytical skills; able to think laterally and challenge existing concepts
• Self-motivated and able to work to a high standard under own initiative
• Able to pay and maintain close attention to detail
• Have the ability to understand technical complexities and issues, and be able to explain and translate these to a less technical audience

About the Company

We are a leading international legal business with over 2,500 colleagues and a diverse range of capabilities. We have 11 offices in the UK as well as offices in Dublin, Madrid, Paris, Singapore, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Miami. We also have associations/alliances with firms in Malaysia, Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Central America, the USA, Australia and Germany.

We are a broad-based commercial firm with a strong heritage in insurance, health and real estate. This is complemented by a fast-growing Business Advisory capability. We represent a wide range of clients, ranging from household names to government departments and NHS bodies. We act for all of the UK’s top-ten insurers, we are market leaders in the provision of strategic, commercial and regulatory advice to providers and commissioners in the health sector, and in real estate we advise all of the UK’s top-12 housebuilders.

We have an impressive legal pedigree, with 142 Chambers UK 2021 practice area and individual lawyer rankings. In Legal 500 UK 2021, the firm received a top tier ranking for 37 of its practice areas, and 58 DACB lawyers were singled out in the ‘Leading Individual' rankings.

Our successes have been recognised by the legal industry and the markets in which we operate. These accolades include two top prizes in the ‘Excellence in Business Development’ and ‘Excellence in Technology & Innovation’ categories of the 2020 Law Society Excellence Awards – the highest accolade for law firms in England & Wales. Our health sector team won the ‘Crisis Management Team of the Year’ award at the 2020 British Legal Awards for its support to the NHS at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and our Cyber & Data Risk team received the ‘Business Development Innovation Award’ at the 2020 Legal Innovation Awards, as well as ‘Cyber Law Firm of the Year’ at the prestigious Insurance Insider Cyber Rankings Awards, for its market-leading suite of digital tools to help our clients prepare for and respond to cyber and data risk crises.

Our vision is to be leading business advisers, recognised for our insight and our outstanding commitment to clients, and for being the place where talented people want to work. For further details on our work and our culture, please visit www.dacbeachcroft.com.

Application Details

At DAC Beachcroft, we don’t just accept your differences we celebrate them.  From bespoke solutions for our clients, to treating you like an individual.  Our strength comes from your diverse ideas and bringing the whole you to work. So if you’re good at what you do, come as you are.  We welcome direct applications and are happy to talk flexible working.

We also want you to be at your very best.  Please feel free to let us know of any changes we can make at any point in the recruitment process that will help support your application.  If this opportunity sounds of interest to you, please make an application and submit your CV.  Your application will be dealt with in the strictest of confidence.

We are a Disability Confident employer and guarantee to interview anyone with a disability whose application meets the essential criteria for this role.  If you have a long term health condition which has an adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day to day activities and feel you meet the minimum criteria for this vacancy as set out in this advert then please contact recruitment@dacbeachcroft.com in confidence, quoting the reference number for this vacancy in the subject box of your email, and a member of the Recruitment team will be in touch.

Note for Recruitment Agencies – the DAC Beachcroft recruitment team is responsible for managing all current vacancies through direct hiring and referrals wherever possible.  We do work with recruitment agencies and where we require external support we will formally release those vacancies to the agencies on our Preferred Supplier List deemed best placed to assist us.  Speculative CVs sent by any agency to any DAC Beachcroft employee without a specific request by the recruitment team will not be accepted and with no introduction fee applicable.  Our recruitment team can be contacted at recruitment@dacbeachcroft.com

DAC Beachcroft